Attracted
by Host of Heaven
Summary: Following her first encounter with Winter during the Vytal Festival, Ruby is left with an uncomfortable uncertainty. Maybe Winter was right. Maybe in some way, Ruby didn't meet Winter's standards. But then, why does Weiss love her?
1. I love you

The Vytal Festival was in full swing. Spectators and travelers milled about the festival grounds surrounding Beacon, to and fro, soaking in the energetic atmosphere brought by the main events. For most, the festivities were enough to distract from the weight of the world's negativity. It reminded them that the diverse cultures in the kingdoms of Remnant could come together, and put aside their differences. But despite the enlightening lure of the fair and its spectacles, some hearts were heavy with uncertainty, still.

Ruby followed Weiss across Beacon's campus with less pep in her step than usual. The fair was fun, and the fights had been mostly in RWBY's element, but she couldn't embrace it all in its deserved brightness. As they passed stalls and booths, she didn't take the time to mingle with the diverse vendors. As they passed artisans and students, she didn't stop to admire the wide array of weaponry being touted for all to see.

"FACE PAINT!" As her pace slowed to a stop, a loud shout turned Ruby's gaze toward an artsy booth in the heart of the fairgrounds. The wall of the booth was adorned with paintings and drawings of creatures of grimm – some frightening, some cutesy, some minimalist. "Scare the dust off your friends, or be everyone's favorite eyesore! With no permanent damage to the face!". As one vendor yelled his shameless promotion, the artist of the duo was at work, painting the face of a fairgoer to resemble some as of yet unclear species of grimm. In its early stage, the look was unremarkable. It was unpolished. Underwhelming.

Subconsciously, Ruby touched her own hand to her face, rubbing the smooth skin, likening it to the general look common to all grimm. Without markings, their faces would all look plain. Unremarkable. Underwhelming?

Having noticed that her girlfriend had begun to lag behind, Weiss backtracked to retrieve the normally vibrant red menace, rolling her eyes humorously.

"Ruby?" the heiress called.

Ruby's attention snapped back to her partner. Realizing she'd stopped moving, she shook off the shock back to reality, and jogged to meet the call halfway.

"Sorry, Weiss! Guess I got distracted…"

The leader's aversion and nerve had not gone unnoticed. Over the past few hours, Weiss had internally grown concerned that something was wrong. They'd passed far too many weapons and sweets in relative silence. There'd been no excited shrieks. No swooning. Little particular interest in any of the festivities.

"Ruby, is there a problem?"

Preferring to avoid the question, Ruby gave her best impression of nonchalance. "A problem? N-no, nothing's wrong. I might just be tired, is all." She took a deep breath, and shut her eyes for a moment, rubbing the back of her head. To any other person, the excuse may have been convincing enough. To her teammates, it was a nervous habit.

Weiss's face turned into a slight frown, and she knowingly took the other girl's hand. Their fingers interlocked in a rare show of public affection. As Ruby looked at their joined hands and registered the gesture, she was forced to surrender a small smile. The small interaction wasn't much, but it was enough for them in the moment.

Deciding they'd had enough for the day, Weiss led them away from the fairgrounds, toward Beacon's main campus. After a long day of action and festive excitement, neither of the two would mind unwinding, and cuddling up in bed for an evening power nap. They made their way into the dorms' wing, and enjoyed what they could of the short journey, paying little attention to the other teams heading in or out. Their pace stayed at comfortable stroll.

Weiss's displays of affection were not so prolific as the rose's own, but when they happened, they were always so considerate. If Ruby was feeling downtrodden, there was a good chance she could find comfort in her girlfriend's consolatory arms. She was sweet like that, Ruby thought. A solid block of ice, on the surface. Cold in more ways than one, often no-nonsense, and sometimes hard to crack quite right. But on the inside, she definitely hid a warm center. She could love, and be loved. However she felt she needed to act, Ruby knew the heiress had her reasons.

By the time they'd arrived back at the room, Ruby had become lost again in her inner musings. Weiss ushered them inside the room, and shoes and skirts were quickly shed in favor of cozy loungewear. Wasting no time, they slipped under the cover of the lower bunk, and embraced snugly, Ruby's head resting upon Weiss's chest. The room was mostly quiet then, save for rhythmic breathing, and the white noise of the air conditioning. The sun had begun to set, leaving the dorm only a dim glow of light.

They spent the better part of an hour like that, stroking one another, and letting some of the day's tension wash away. Before they could dose off, Weiss broke the silence first.

"Hey," she spoke quietly.

"Hm?" Ruby responded, her eyelids only partially open.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

There was no immediate answer. She only continued to stroke the skin of her partner's arm.

"Hey –" Weiss lifted the younger girl's chin and shifted her own position, bringing their gazes to meet "– dunce, I'm here for you, you know."

Ruby made a light sound at the nickname. It was mostly under her breath – just audible enough to be considered a chuckle. "Hmph. Dunce. It's been a while since I've heard that one." She adjusted her position, to have their eyes level.

"That could easily be rectified."

They both leaned in, and their lips pressed together in a quick but gentle kiss, barely longer than a second.

"Really though, Ruby. What's wrong? It's quite easy to tell when you're not yourself." She stroked Ruby's hair, trying to provide whatever comfort she could.

Still, Ruby hesitated to be upfront. "It's just –" she racked her brain, trying to find the right words "–I don't..."

"You don't…"

Ruby took another deep breath, and settled on being direct as always. "Weiss, why do you love me?"

Weiss's eyebrows raised, and then rested in a small frown. It was rare for Ruby to take such a tone, and it never sat well with her team.

"Sorry, that came out harsher than it was supposed to. It's just, I'm not sure why," she began. "I know you love me. You've made that plenty clear already." At the memories, both girls showed the slightest shade of pink. "But, maybe Winter was onto something, earlier."

"Ruby-" Weiss started to counter.

Ruby didn't let her finish. "You were the same way when we first met, you know. You didn't think much of me. You thought I was barely worth the time. Like I was nothing special. At one point, I was even starting to wonder if you were right."

At the interruption, Weiss felt struck. She'd promised one night that she'd work on being the best teammate ever. And her attitude had improved much since then. Although she herself still sometimes scoffed at the way she'd treated Ruby in the beginning, it was worse having it thrown back at her that way.

Seeing the look on Weiss's face, Ruby realized she'd once again made it sound worse than it was. She cupped her girlfriend's cheek in her hand. "I don't hold any of that against you, Weiss. I know you've gotten better." She nuzzled her forehead to accentuate the point. "In times like these, I'm just not sure why you chose someone like me."

For several moments, there was more silence between them. Still in their embrace, Weiss could not find the perfect words, and so resigned to trying to ease Ruby's worries by putting more effort into her affection. Actions spoke louder than words anyway, they say.

Lying on their sides, they cupped each other's free cheek, and stroked and kissed until Weiss did find something worth telling.

"Ruby, if anything, understand that you _are_ special to me. Frankly, you're an amazing person, and you have the potential to be one of the best huntresses in all of Remnant." Weiss concentrated on those silver eyes as if she might plunge right into their depths someday. "Winter's just being the perfectionist we were raised to be." As quickly as they'd came, the heiress tried to expunge the bothersome aspects of her childhood memories. "But, even if Winter never gets it, I do. It's not going to change the way I feel about you. I promise."

With that, they returned to their original embrace, Ruby resting her head on Weiss's chest, and both content to let the thoughts and emotions simmer. If there were still uncertainties to be dealt with, they could be dealt with tomorrow. They cuddled as closely as possible, and fell asleep in each other's arms.


	2. And This Is Why

Weiss sat alone in the dorm, letting the midday pass her by. The Vytal Festival was proceeding nicely, and the duos tier was underway. It was clear to the masses that Beacon's students were performing exceptionally, and RWBY was again slated as the favorite to win in their upcoming battle. With all of the excitement, spirits everywhere were high, and Ruby was back to her cheery self - a wondrous improvement from the night before.

And yet, Weiss couldn't bring herself to join in all the zest, lost in her thoughts, muddled as they were. She reflected on yesterday's events as well as she could, and ran through any answer she could think of. When nothing was satisfactory enough, frustration settled in, and she went back to square one.

"Ugh," she groaned, falling backwards onto her bed. For all her vocal talent, she found it ironic how often she struggled with words. The same question rang in her mind, over and over, in that same adorable voice. _Why do you love me?_

It almost made her feel bad. She certainly loved Ruby. And she was grateful the younger girl didn't doubt the fact, which made it all the more frustrating for Weiss when she failed to find the perfect words to soothe her lover's heart. So focused was she on her shortcoming that she'd also failed to notice she was no longer alone in the room.

"I figured you'd be practicing for your match."

Weiss stared at the bottom of Ruby's bunk, anxious, but self-controlled, nonetheless. "Professor Peach has advised that it would be unwise to cram up to the last minute before an exam. That you should let your training and studies marinate. That way, you avoid losing confidence in the information you've consolidated."

Blake chuckled under her breath. "Weiss Schnee? Finally learned to relax? Flabbergasted."

"Har har."

Despite her self-control, Weiss couldn't fully hide the flat numbness in her voice, a reflex brought upon by years of learning to suppress distressing emotions, even in private. And it was not lost on Blake. To the outside world, it was just the ice queen. To her team, it was a stress mechanism.

"Something wrong?"

"Absolutely not. Peachy keen."

"Doubt it."

Weiss wasn't going to throw another rebound. She briefly wondered if she could get some advice from the faunus without implicating herself, but after entire minutes of silence had passed, Blake spoke first.

"Is it about Ruby?"

Weiss felt a brief flash of embarrassment, and faltered in her response. She tried to find a way to refute the possibility, but the hesitation gave Blake all she needed. For all her grace, the heiress could badly blunder at the mention of her romance.

"It is about Ruby."

"What makes you so-"

"Weiss," she interrupted. "I have an eye for these things."

Weiss could only glare in resentment of her friend's ability to read people. Anytime the heiress thought she'd been discreet enough, there was Blake, and her uncanny perception.

"Stare too hard, and you'll hurt yourself." she joked. "Look, can we just skip the denial and the cold, hard Schnee bit, and get to the part where you tell me the problem?"

Sighing in defeat, the problem was brought to light. "Ruby asked me why I love her."

Blake waited for Weiss to continue, but when no more words came, there was only confusion. "Well, if there's a problem between you and Ruby, I'd love nothing more than to help you fix it." She sat beside Weiss on the bed, and shrugged. "But unless you don't love her, I'm failing to see the problem."

At the suggestion, it took all of Weiss's willpower to avoid shouting a string of defensive profanities in Blake's direction. "Don't be ridiculous," she countered, making her position clear. "She means the world to me. No less than Yang means to you."

Blake didn't challenge the comparison. She'd save that battle for another day. "Ok. Then, why?"

And again, Weiss wasn't sure where, or how, to start. "Why? Well… she's Ruby."

She was met with a raised brow, urging her to try again.

"She's just… Ruby. She's adorable, she's strong, her very smile lightens up the room, and she likes people for who they are. She loves me for me." Towards the end of the list, Weiss audibly tapered off, taking the last bit to heart.

Blake nodded, processing the list she'd been given. "Weiss Schnee. The heiress. The singer. I'd bet most people wouldn't peg you for the type to have trouble with words."

"Well, as Ozpin would say, at least I do my very best."

"You do." Indeed, Weiss visibly put her best into every endeavor. That much was clear to her peers. "But you're thinking about this the wrong way."

"Excuse me?" Weiss questioned her, confused.

Blakes showed a small smile for the first time since entering the room. "Those are all things you love _about_ her." Blake stared at the wall now, probably allowing the gears in her head to turn in a way Weiss could only aspire to. "But Ruby asked 'why you love her'. _Why_ do you love _her_ as a _person_?"

Weiss looked away, letting the words sink in, but struggled to understand the question.

"I think I have a decent idea of what you could say." Weiss gave her a hopeful gaze. "But it's not my place. All of this is meaningless unless you craft the words yourself." Weiss's gaze returned to the bottom of Ruby's bunk, disappointedly. "Although, I think I can point you in the right direction."

Blake stood from the bed and made her way over to the bookshelf, kneeling, and scanning the spines and titles with a purpose. Once she'd found the book in mind, she flipped the pages, standing as she searched. "There's a philosophy about love, you know."

"I'd imagine there are several." Weiss eyed the book in Blake's grasp. If someone had bothered to tell her she could find the answer to love in a book, she'd have been all over it.

"You're right," she confirmed, ignoring the sarcasm. "There's one philosophy everyone knows." Finally finding the page she'd been searching for, Blake stood in place, recounting the words to herself. "Although, most people only know it as an idiom."

"Is that so? Well then, enlighten me." At the thought of being out of the loop of such an ingrained piece of knowledge, Weiss almost felt challenged.

"Opposites attract."

Now it was Weiss's turn to be left hanging. She waited for some more sage knowledge, but when none came, she felt cheated. "Is that all? Of course, I've heard that. That doesn't help."

"That's because you're not thinking about it hard enough," Blake insisted. "You're not seeing the trees for the forest. You're seeing the forest, but you're not seeing the trees that compose it."

Weiss took a moment to process the backwards analogy. There was something about the finer details that she wasn't grasping, sure, but she needed help getting there. She took a deep breath. "Alright. So then, how do I do that?"

After having to put her foot down, Blake let out another small smile at Weiss's co-operation. "Ok." She took in a breath of her own. "You need to get to the roots."

She resumed her sitting position on the bed, and the two sat side-by-side, once again. "What is it that you love about Ruby?" Blake reached towards the desk next to the beds, and picked up one of Ruby's spare cross pins, hoping it would help Weiss keep her thoughts focused. "Tell me again."

Weiss held the cross tightly in her left hand, as if losing it would be tantamount to losing the dolt herself. "She's beautiful. But not just with her looks. Her smile is so bright, and warm. It's infectious." Subconsciously, Weiss also started to spin the pin with her fingers, no less careful in its security. "She's childish, and hyper, and has abominable eating habits. But on her, it's endearing. She's not so concerned with what the world thinks. She's free. Free-spirited, and confident and cheerful in almost everything she does." She stopped twiddling with the cross, and enclosed her hand around it, shielding it from the outside. "She's so affectionate. I've struggled with things like these all my life, but she makes it all look easy. She has a way of making her loved ones _feel_ the love, and a way of inspiring those close to her to want to stay close, and reciprocate."

As Weiss's account went on, Blake's grin had grown. "You're getting there." Blake pushed on. "There are a lot of things you love about her. Despite her demeanor, you love the way she is. But why? You're obviously very different in both behavior and attitude. So then, why is her demeanor endearing? What makes you appreciate her different, free spirit?"

Without much hesitation now, Weiss knew exactly what to say. "It's because she's not like me. Growing up, I could never have been so free, or so warm and bright. But with her, it's like a missing piece of a puzzle. It's like…" as she trailed, it clicked in Weiss's head. All of a sudden, she felt as if she'd been so stupid. The green bulbous forest was becoming a sharp composition of the many, beautiful red trees. "She completes me," she concluded, resolute. "I… love her, because all of her endearing qualities make me feel whole, as a person. She makes me feel complete. Where would I be now without her? What kind of person would I be? I love her, because she is the most amazing person in my world, and she makes me a fuller, better person." By this point, in a moment of clarity and excitement, Wiess had stood up from the bed, eager in her declarations.

Blake closed the book, and stood from the bed herself, giving Weiss an approving, proud look. "It's great that you see it that way, Weiss. Now you just need to tell it to the person who matters."

Blake returned the book to its rightful place, and Weiss let out a sigh of great relief. "Thank you, Blake. I feel so much better."

"Happy to help."

They came together in a friendly hug. With that philosophical block out of the way, Weiss was sure she could get through the rest of the day, and her fight, with ease.

"HA! GAAAAY!" But apparently, not without a big, blonde headache.

Weiss and Blake separated and turned their attention to the room's door, finding that the sisters had finally returned from their perusing of some section or another of the fairgrounds. "Is that your way of saying you _want_ Weiss to steal me away?"

Before the heiress or the brawler could quip back, at the mere suggestion that anyone else could capture Weiss's heart, Ruby appeared between the two, and tactlessly pushed them apart. She locked her arms around Weiss's neck, and peppered her face with kisses. "Sorry, Blake. This snowflake is _mine_." She gave Blake a glare that could only be described as joking and menacing, simultaneously.

Blake's eyes darted between her leader and her girlfriend. "How about a timeshare?"

"Blake! Why must you purr-t me this way?" Yang clutched at her heart, feigning distress.

All in attendance only groaned at the terrible excuse for a pun.

"Alright. We're done here. Let's go." Blake pushed Yang out the door, boots scraping against the floor as they left. "Wouldn't want to miss JNPR's duo matchup, would we?"

As they left, Weiss took the moment of alone-time to kiss Ruby as sweetly, and as sensually as she could manage. Their lips were locked like that for what could have been seconds or minutes – neither of the two cared enough to track.

When the need for air finally tore them apart, lightly panting, Weiss grasped Ruby's hand, and started leading her out the door. "We're going to have a lot to talk about later," she said softly. "But for now, I love you, dolt."

Ruby smiled wider than she had all weekend, and pecked Weiss on the lips for one more kiss as they made their way out of the dorms. "I love you too."


End file.
